Attachment for sport or similar shoes



March 27, 1945. R. H. LAWRENCE ATTACHMENT FOR SPORT OR SIMILAR SHOES Filed April 21, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

fiObBf'tHL awren c e ATTORNEYS March 27, 1945 EN E 2,372,501

- ATTACHMENT FOR SPORT 0R SIMILAR SHOES Filed April 21, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill INVEN TOR.

1-200 er'tHL azure/2 0e Patented Mar. 27, 1945 Robert H. Lawrence, Fort Worth, Tex., assignor of one-half to Henry T. Marshall, Sweetwater,

Tex.

Application April 21, 1944, Serial No. 532,128

12 Claims. (CI. 36-75) This invention relates to improvements in at-- tachments for sport or similar shoes and has for its primary object the provision of means that may be conveniently carried and applied to, or removed from, a spiked or cleated shoe enabling the latter to be worn in the house without danger of marring the floor or floor covering, and at the same time protecting the spikes or cleats themselves from harm by impact thereof against a tiled or other hard surface when it is desired to use the shoe out of play, so to speak, and the functioning of the spikes or cleats is not needed.

A convenient and preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a flexible supporting means carrying a suitable number of, preferably flexible or resilient, tread portions adapted to be fastened to the sole and heel of a sport shoe in an adjusted fashion to avoid contact with the ends of the spikes or cleats projecting from the sole and heel in customary manner, and of a depth to contact the under surface of the shoe intermediate the spikes or cleats, and to project downwardly beyond the points or edges thereof, the whole being adapted to be rolled. or folded into a compact condition, when disassoclated with the shoe, to enable the same to be conveniently carried in the pocket of the user, or pocket as of a golf bag, automobile, or equivalent,

The above-mentioned embodiment of the invention also, preferably, is provided with a means for adjusting the flexible supporting means to enable fitting the attachment to shoes within a substantial range of sizes to minimize the expense and trouble otherwise inherent in the making of the attachment, especially for a given size of shoe.

The preferred embodiment of the invention, referred to, comprises the tread or protectin portions formed of rubber, fiber, leather or plastic material, or a combination of these materials, in strips of considerable thickness adjustably sleeved upon the supporting member to extend transversely across the sole of the sport shoe between the spikes or cleats thereof and longitudinally across the heel, but it will be apparent from the specific description hereinafter contained, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, and

wherein said embodiment is illustrated, that altemative details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, all as may be embraced within the terms of the hereinafter recited claims.

" In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spiked or sport shoe with the attachment of the present improvement applied thereto. Figure 2 is a bottom view of the same.v

Figure 3 is an endv elevation looking at the toe portion of the shoe.

Figure 4 is an end view looking at the heel of the shoe;

Figure 5 is a detail view of the adjusting device;

Figures 6 and '7 are detail perspective and sectional views, respectively/of the sole engaging hook;

Figure dis a side view of one of the tread strips of Figure 1; V

Figure 9 is a bottom view of a modified tread} Figure 10 is a detail section thereof; and

Figures 11 and 12 are perspective views of still other modifications.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote the same parts in the several views, I represents the upper of a golf or sport shoe of conventional type, provided with the customary sole 8 and heel 9, no special provision being required in these elements to accommodate the improved attachment now to be defined.

I0 is a flexible, supporting member, as a leather thong, elastic strip, web, or tape constituting, in the main, the supporting member for a plurality of downwardly projecting soletreads I l and similar heel treads l2, to be further described in detail. The thong at the appropriate point between its ends, marking the toe portion of the attachment, has secured thereto a pair of hooks, generally denoted l3, having a common integral clamping portion l4 bent around and impinging upon' the thong, the hooks having base portions I5 to contact the under surface of the shoe sole, from which the hooks are bent upwardly to engage the sole or toe edge of the sole, as at I6, and then downwardly over the top of the sole to interlock the attachment with the shoe when applied to the latter.

The supporting thong extends rearwardly in parallel portions passing through the tread portions throughout the sole of the shoe, said parallel portions terminating below the instep portion of the shoe beneath which the opposite portions of the thong are crossed, as at ll, to pass around the heel of the shoe, a finger lift I8 being loose upon the thong to be manually engaged at the back of the heel to lift or adjust the heel portion of the attachment when applied, to the top of the heel, where the tension of the encompassing thong will retain the attachment on the heel. While the thong, being formed shoe.

of strong leather, is capable of some stretch and will exert a bind on the heel portion of the shoe pulling against the hook at the toe portion of the sole, and in most instances being altogether sufficient to retain the attachment in place, it is to be understood that the thong may similarly, in instances, be formedin'whole or in part of rubber or cloth webbing so 'long as the same may be connected at the ends to afiord adjustment thereof, as well as the desired clamping action on the sole and heel, this adjustment in any instance being afforded by a suitable fastener, such as a double eyed link [9, permanently secured at one end to the adjoining end "of the thongand'at the other end separably attached to the opposite end of the thong, the latter being drawn through the adjacent eye to obtain the propertension or hold and then tied, as at 2|.

22 are the customary spikes, or they may be equivalent cleats or the, like, normall attached to the sole of a sport shoe and 23 are the similar devices normally projecting from. the heel of the The treated portions l I and I2; in. the strip formation illustrated, are formed of rubber fiber or fiber and rubber, as for instance made from automobile tire carcase involving alternate layers of canvass and rubber, and they are provided. with slip connections with the supporting thong,

in the nature of transverse passages 24 therethrough for the frictional. engagement of the thong, permitting the tread portions to be forcibly slidon the thong to position the same, as desired, to escape the spikes or cleatsaccording to the positioning of the-latteron the sole and heel. Ihe tread portions H for the sole extend transversely thereof while the portions I2, at the heel, extend longitudinally of the; heel, thenlatter being held in place by additional or auxiliary short thongs 25, extending downwardly from the sides of the heel and thereacross, being connected at their terminals byeyes 26 slidably engaging the opposite portions of the main supporting thong Ill; The arrangement permits the longitudinal, as well as the transverse adjustment of the tread members I2 with respect to the heel.

The tread strips H and 12 are preferably rubber faced, as at 21, and the strips being flexible may be slightly bent or deflected laterally in planes parallel to the shoe sole and heel to escape being obstructed. by a: spike or spikessomewhat disaligned'across the bottom of the sole or heel so that the unspiked portions of the sole and heel may have a flat bearing upon the upper surface of the: strips.

In lieu of having the tread portionsof. the attachment continuous solid strips or bars, as. thus far defined, the tread. portions of the device may be in the nature of separate resilient-discs, or tubular cylindrical members, attached as heretofore described to the various. thong portions and capable of similar sliding movement on the latter to position the same between the spikes, or cleats (Figure 11), or'ininstances the thongs may carry complete perforated sole or heel portions to accommodate the spikes or'cleats (Figure 9).

In Figure 11 the tread portion is in the nature of a disc- 28, provided. with atransverseopening:

29; to: afford the adjustable frictional engagement 70 with the thong.

In Figure 12 the tread-portions are of: tubular or cylindrical form. i

The complete sole attachment is represented at 30 in Figure 9, thezsame'havingcapertures 2!,

Figure 10, to accommodate the spikes orclea-ts,

the apertures or recesses in the supplemental sole are of substantially increased diameter relative to the sizes of the spikes or cleats to be accommodated, found in various sport shoes with which the attachment is intended to be used.

The tubular strips are capable of being flexed laterally to avoid contact with the spikes and enable-flat engagement of the upper surfaces of the.

tread portions with the bars or unspiked under surface of the shoe sole.

I claim:

1.-A protecting attachment for spiked shoes, comprising flexible supporting thong portions having means for engagement with the sole of a shoe at the toe portion thereof, parallel portions of. the thong, adapted to extend rearwardly therefrom, a resilient tread device adjustable along the parallel portions of the thong to bear on the sole andconstitute tread portions projected outwardly'beyondthe spikes, and. means for fastening the thong. portions at the heel of the shoe.

2. A protecting attachment for spiked shoes, comprising flexible supporting thong portions having. means for engagement with the sole of a shoe at the toe portion thereof, parallel portions of the thong adapted to extend, rearwardly therefrom, resilient tread devices adjustable along the parallel portions of the thong to bear on thesole between thespikes thereof, and means for securing. the attachment in place on. the heel portion of the shoe.

3. A protecting attachment for spikedshoes, comprising flexible supporting thong portions having means for engagement with the sole of a shoe atthe toe portion thereof, parallel portions of the thong adapted to extend rearwardly there- I from, tread devices comprising resilient strips adjustable along the parallel portions of the thong to bear on the sole'b'etween the spikes thereof, and means for. securing the attachment in place on the heel portion of the shoe.

4. A protecting attachment for spikedshoes comprising flexible supporting thong portions having means for engagement With the 'sole of a shoe at the toe portion thereof, parallel portions of the. thong adapted to, extend rearwardly' therefrom, tread devices comprising resilient tubular members adjustable along each parallel portionof the thong to bear on the sole'between the spikes thereof, and means for securing the attachment in place on the heel portion of the shoe.

5. A protecting attachment for spiked. shoes comprising flexible supporting thong portions having means for engagement with the sole of a shoe at the toe portion thereof, parallel portions of the thong adaptedto extend rearwardly therefrom, a treaddevice comprising a flexible supplemental sole adjustable along the parallel portions of the thong to bear on the sole between the; spikes thereof, and means for. securing the attachment in place on the heel portion of the shoe.

6. A protecting attachment for spiked shoes comprising. flexible supporting thong portions having means for engagement with the sole of. a-

shoe at the toe portion thereof, parallel portions' of the thong adapted to extend, rearwardly therefrom, a tread' device comprising. a flexible supplemental sole adjustable along the parallel portions of the thong to bear on the sole between the spikes thereof, said supplemental sole having passages therein to accommodate said spikes, and means for securing the attachment in place on the heel portion of the shoe.

7. A protecting attachment for spiked shoes, comprising flexible supporting thong portions having means for engagement with the sole of a shoe at the toe portion thereof, parallel portions of the thong adapted to extend rearwardly therefrom, tread devices on the parallel portions of the thong to bear on the sole between the spikes thereof, portions of the thong towards the rear of the sole being crossed to pass around the heel of a shoe and engage the same to retain the attachment in place, and means for adjustably securing the adjoining ends of the thong together.

8. A protecting attachment for spiked shoes, comprising flexible supporting thong portions having means for engagement with the sole of a shoe at the toe portion thereof, :parallel portions of the thong adapted to extend rearwardly therefrom, tread devices on the parallel portions of the thong to bear on the sole between the spikes thereof, portions of the thong towards the rear of the sole being crossed to pass around the heel of a shoe and engage the same to retain the attachment in place, means for adjustably securing the adjoining ends of the thong together, in combination with various thong portions adapted to extend across the under surface of the heel, and longitudinally arranged supplemental tread devices adjustably secured to said various thong portions.

9. A rotecting attachment for spiked shoes, comprising flexible supporting thong portions having means for engagement with the sole of a shoe at the toe portion thereof, parallel portions of the thong adapted to extend rearwardly therefrom, tread devices on the parallel portions of the thong to bear on the sole between the spikes thereof, portions of the thong towards the rear of the sole being crossed to pass around the heel of a shoe and engage the same to retain the attachment in place, means for adjustably securing the adjoining ends of the thong together, in combination with various thong portions adapted to extend across the under surface of the heel, and longitudinally arranged supplemental tread devicesradjustably secured to said various thong portions, the various thong portions having a slip connection with the heel engaging thong portions whereby the tread device at the heel may 'be adjusted laterally and longitudinally of the under surface of the heel.

10. A protecting attachment for spiked shoes, comprising a flexible supporting means adapted to be secured to the sole and. heel portions of a shoe, opposite thong portions carrying tread devices adapted to extend transversely of the sole, and other tread devices adapted to extend longitudinally of the heel, and means foradjusting the gripping tension of the supporting means with reference to the sole and heel of a shoe.

11. A supplemental tread for spiked sport shoes, comprising elongated resilient strips, and means for removably attaching the same in position across the bottom of the shoe in engagement with the bare or unspiked portions, of the same, said strips being adjustable on their attaching means and flexible transversely to be positioned in avoidance of the spikes.

12. A removable supplemental'tread device for spiked sport shoes comprising an adjustable thong having means for engagement with the toe portion of a sole and a portion leading therefrom to embrace the heel and adjustable means for fastening the thong in adjusted position, tread devices carried by the thong, and a lift having a slip engagement with the thong to accommodate for said adjustment and permitting the lift to oo- 40 cupy a position at the rear of the heel of ,the

shoe.

ROBERT H. LAWRENCE. 

